19-year-old Connor Green got England off to a stunning start in the country’s first major table tennis tournament in seven years.
The wildcard beat world number 53 Feng Yi-Hsin 3-1 in a huge upset in the first round of World Table Tennis’ Star Contender despite being unranked at senior level.
Green lost the first game against Yi-Hsin but roared back to take the next three, despite needing four match points to get over the line.
He said: “I didn’t have much expectation going into the match – I got wildcarded into the event so I’m not really supposed to be in the main draw.
“I felt very nervous going into it.
“My dad was in the crowd today and I think he was also probably pretty nervous, but I haven’t seen him yet.”
Green’s aggressive play earned him four match points in the fourth game, but after losing the first three, the nerves in the Copper Box crowd were palpable.
He said: “I was just trying to go through the same process – serve, try and be aggressive on the next one, and then whatever happens in the rally happens – I just tried to play freely.”
After a missed forehand from Feng, Green turned to the crowd and screamed in celebration, while his coach raised his arms to the sky.
World number 78, and England number one, Tom Jarvis was the only other Brit to reach the singles second round, thanks to a 3-2 win over Belgian Martin Allegro.
But investment in English table tennis is on the rise, and Green believes this is to thank for his heroics in the Star Contender.
He said: “I’ve been in the program for a long time now and I think that it’s always going from strength to strength, like with the new training centre in Sheffield.
“At the top end of this country, there are better results and as a whole, there are more players playing at a better level.
“It’s great there’s even Star Contender in England and it was the biggest crowd I have played in front of.”
He will face world number 38 Manav Thakkar in the last 32 today.
Featured image credit: Joseph Saunders
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